Use this page for supplying files: the specifications and tools you need are below. Supply your files correctly and avoid delays or errors. Below you will find our supply specifications, the formats with bleed and a handy spine width calculator.
Supply specifications
- Supply your files as PDF, preferably PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4.
- Cover and inside pages as two separate PDF files.
- Cover as a single spread: back cover, spine and front cover side by side in one PDF.
- Inside pages as single pages in reading order (no spreads), always an even number.
- 3 mm bleed all around on anything that runs to the edge, and keep 5 mm clearance from the trim edge for text.
- All fonts embedded in the PDF, or converted to outlines.
- All colours in CMYK (not RGB); black and white as greyscale.
- Images at actual size with at least 300 dpi.
Formats and bleed
| Formaat | Eindformaat | Inclusief 3 mm afloop |
|---|---|---|
| A5 staand | 148 x 210 mm | 154 x 216 mm |
| A4 staand | 210 x 297 mm | 216 x 303 mm |
| A5 liggend | 210 x 148 mm | 216 x 154 mm |
| A4 liggend | 297 x 210 mm | 303 x 216 mm |
| Vierkant | 148 x 148 mm | 154 x 154 mm |
| Vierkant | 210 x 210 mm | 216 x 216 mm |
| Vierkant | 280 x 280 mm | 286 x 286 mm |
| 170 x 240 | 170 x 240 mm | 176 x 246 mm |
Supply templates
Download the template for your format and build your design on it. Each template shows the trim line (final size), the 3 mm bleed and the safe 5 mm margin. Then export as PDF and supply it when ordering.
Common mistakes when supplying artwork
Four mistakes account for most rejections. The first is missing bleed: if your background stops exactly on the trim line, a white edge often remains after cutting. The second is the wrong colour space; images in RGB are converted to CMYK for printing, which makes bright colours duller than they looked on screen. The third is low resolution: what looks sharp on a monitor is often grainy at 300 dpi on paper. And the fourth is an incorrect spine width, which leaves your title sitting off-centre on the spine.
So always check your PDF at actual size before uploading, and zoom in on the trim edges. Adobe explains how to include bleed and crop marks in its guide to PDF export. Work out the right spine width with the spine width calculator.